Safety apparatus for elevators



Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,603., P. 1. WOOLDRIDGE.

SAFETY APPARATUS FOR ELEVATORS.

omeum man DEC.4,1918. 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

L. ATTORNEY.

Jan. 30, 1923.

P. J. WOOLDRlDGE. SAFETY APPARATUS FOR ELEVATORS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ORIGINAL FILED DEC. 4,1918.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 30, 1923.

POWHATAN J. 'WOOLDRIDGE, F PEWEE VALLEY, KENTUCKY SAFETY APPARATUS FORELEVATORS.

Application filed. December {1, 1818, Serial No. 265,194. Renewed April8, .1922. Serial-No. 550,799.

To nrZZ whom it may comern:

Be it known that I, PowHArAN J. lVooL- names, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Pewee Valley. Oldham County, Kentucky, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Safety rrpparatus for Elevators.fully described and represented in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the same. 2

My invention relates to safety apparatus for elevators and moreparticularly to an apparatus for preventing open doors at elevatorlandings when the elevator is not properly opposite the landing.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus forpreventing an elevator from moving materially away from the landing whenthe door thereat is open, and for locking the door closed when theelevator is moved away from the landing. Further and more specificobjects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from thedetail description given below taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which form a part of this specification. In the drawings.

i 1 is an elevation partly broken away and partly diagrammatic, of anelevator enrbo ying part of my improvements in a preferred form thereof;

F 2 is a partial section through the elen at the top of the elevatordoor vator wen. at a landing and showing part of the ele vator in planview with part of my im"- proved apparatus in section taken on the iine22 of Fig. 1;

F is a detail vertical view of part of 1y improved apparatus adapted tobe attarhed to the top of the elevator, parts thereof being shown insection to more clearly illustrate the operation thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 41 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 5 represents an elevator adapted to be raisedand lowered in an elevator well by any well-known or suitable apparatus,preferably by electric power. The top of the elevator is shown at 6 andwithin the elevator is conveniently situated any suitable or well-knowncontrolling apparatus 7, provided with a handle 3 for affecting in anysuitable or well-known manner an electric control circuit, part of whichis indicated by the conductors 9. 10

represents an elevator door at one of the landings in the elevator well,which door is adapted to slideback and forth to open and close the door.

Secured to the top of the elevator 6, are a pair of oppositely curvedcams 11 and 12, the upper cam 11 being carried by a standard 13 anddepending therefrom, and the lower cam 12 extending upwardly from thefront side of the elevator. 15 and 16 are two parallel horizontalmembers connected together at one end by a connecting piece 18 and atthe other end provided with right angled turned ends 19 and 20respectively. The ends 19 and 20 are adapted to have a free slidingmovement in guide-ways 21 and 22 supported above the top of the elevatorand behind the cams 11 and 12 by a frame 14. The frame 14 is alsoprovided with upper and lower brackets 23 and 24c in which are slidablymounted-vertical rods 25 and 26 respectively. The rod 25 is providedwith a head 27 bearing against the upper face of member 15, and with acollar 28 fastthereon and normally bearing against a bearing collar 29of bracket 23 under the action of a spring 30, one end of which bearsagainst the collar 28 and the other end of which bears against the upperpart of bracket 23. If desired a nut 31 may be secured to the upper endof the rod 25. In similar manner the rod 26 normally bears against theunder face of the member 16 under the action of a spring 33, one end ofwhich bears against a collar 34 fast on the rod and the other endagainst the lower part of the bracket 24. If desired a nut 36 may besecured to the lower end of the rod 26.

It will thus be apparent that the horizontal members 15 and 16 may begiven a slight upward and downward movement relatively to the elevatorfrom the posltion shown in Fig. 3 against the resistance of the rod 25or 26 as the case may ,be. The springs 30 and 33, however, acting on therods 25 and 26 normally hold the members 15 and 16 resiliently in theposition shown in Fig. 'When the horizontal members 15 and 16 are movedupwardly or downwardly the parts 19 and 20, operating in the guideways21 and 22, serve as guides. for such movements.

Carried on the member 18, but suitably insulated therefrom, is anelectric contact her 37 which me ta y hi onta t ng the e h 39 areinsulated from one another and from the bracket 40 but are electricallyconnected to the conductors 9 by means oi binding posts 41 and 42respectively, so that the parts 37, 38 and 39 form a control switch foropening and closing the control circuit 9 upon the horizontal members 15and 16 being moved upwardly or downwardly. W hen these horizontalmembers are so moved the conducting bar 3'? is moved away from thespring contacts 38 and 39, thus opening the control circuit.

Pivoted to a stationary part of the elevator well at l3 is a member i l.provided with a slot 43 adapted to be entered by roller ib,

'pivotally mounted on top ot the door ('3.

When the door 6 is opened by movement thereoi in the direction of thearrow 4:7, as shown in Fig. 4;, the roller engages the arms i8 of themember 4A: and operating in the slot 1-5 causes the member l-fl: to beswung counter clockwise as viewed in Fig. i and in between thehorizontal members 1!: and, 16 on top of the elevator. This is, ofcourse, assuming that the elevator is oppo a floor landing in whichposition the members to and 16 are situated to receive the member 44-.The opening of the door swings the member 44 as stated and inserts itinto the path of the elevator and the members 15 and 16 to the positionindicated in dotted lines 61 in Fig, 4 and in full lines in section in3. Thereupon it it be attempted to move the elevator up. the relativelystationary member dd carried by the elevator well will engage the member16 preventing it from moving upwardly with the elevator, and causing thecontacts 38 and 39, carried upwardl by the elevator, to be separated.from the contact bar 37 thus opening the control circuit and causing theelevator to stop, the r being applied by any well -known or suitable ar'angement as is customary when such a control circuit of the ole. .or isbroken. If it be attempted to move the elevator down when the door openas above stated the member ll will engage the member 15 and prevent itfrom moving downwardly with the elevator and so cause the contacts 38and 39 to be in red the contact bar 37 and open the circuit to stop theelevator and apply the brakes as before. The member 4A; is provided withan upturned flange d9 to engage the member 15 and protect partshereinafter described carried by the member 4-4. When the door is closedthe roller 46 will engage the other arm of the member 44 as the doorapproaches its closed position and will swing it out of the spacebetween the members 15 and 16, and out of the path of the elevatorand'all parts connected therewith, and over the top of the door 10 asshown in full lines is Figs. 2 and thus per-- aitting the elevator to befreely moved upwardly or downwardly to other bindings.

Pivoted on the end of the member 44 50 is a hook 51. A spring 52normally maintains-the hoolr 51 in the position shown in 4 in fulllines, against a pin 33 secured to the member and in such a positionthat the hook is adapted on movement of member id to be engaged by a(re-operating hoolr rigidl secured in the elevator well or door frame.l?ivoted to the heel: at is a lever normally l ld tion shown in fulllines in i f. a spring 23"? which pulls the short arm thereof againstthe bod portion of the hook 7:] which acts as a stop theretor. fl henthe elevator is opposite the door '10 the long arm oi the le ver 56adapted to be eigaged by the projecting part of an upright me; iber 58which extends upward from the top of the eleva tor.

hen the elevator is ma from the landing so that the er is not oppositethe outwardly bent abutment part o i' thc u'pright member then it it beattempted to open the door the roller 4-6 will tend to swing the membere4: inwardly, but the hook o'lavill engage the catch. and thus preventthe ber l4 being swung: inwardly into the path of the elevator, and thearm ee8 which is in engagement with the roller 46 will prevent the doorfrom being op ned so that the hooks and 5d serve as latches or catchesfor locking the door 10 closed position when the ele tor is not properlypositioned opposite the elevator landll hen, however. the elevator isproppositioncd opposite the elevator landas the door 10 is opened andthe engages the arm i9 and swings i 44 nwardly about the pivot 3.

"iart oi the movement o i position ndi d by dotterially away ed lines 60in i 4-. the le a" 56 engages he abutment member 53 and causes the lever56 to swin the heel: to the lo and as shown by do lines in lire. 4: sothat the hook 51 will pass clear of the bo b when the member lx-listnrther swur the path otthe elevator. As the roar is further opened theroller 46 causes the arm 44 to swing in 'ietwe n the members 15 and 16.the lever 56 by engagement with the member 8a causingthe hook i to beswung}: further in a clockw se direction as viewed in Fig. 4- until thelever 6 -iwings by the member F8 thus permitting the arm 4.4: to swingfreely into the position shown in Fin. 3 and by dotted lines 1 in Fig.4. ll hen the door closed and the member i returned to its normalposition, the lever 56 on its pivot 55 order to pass the member 58. butwhen it has passed the member 58 the spring 57 returns the lever 56 toits normal postion shown in full lines in Fig. l.

in the posi s'z ou'ld not be quite closed and the member 4% not swungentirely out of the path. ot

)QLWEQH the cams 11 and i2, and free of the members 15 and i6. where anup or down movement of the elevator would not cause the opening of thecontrol circuit by action of the switch 37, 38 and'39, then the upwardmovement of the elevator would cause the cam 11 to engage themeniber lland swing it out of the path of the elevator and over the top of thedoor to its normal position as shown in full lines in Fig. l. Similarlyhe downward movement of the elevator would cause the cam 12 to engagethe member and similarly force it out of the path of the elevator.Either of these movements will also cause the member at to act on theroller 46 to complete the closing ot the door and bring the hook theelevator, but to a point opposite and l 51 into operative position withthe hook 5-l to lock the door in closed position.

It will be seeni rom the above that the arrangement not only eitectively and elliciefntly prevents the elevator from beingmovedmaterially away from the landingwhile the elevator door is open, butalso securely locks the door closed when the elevator is not properlyopposite the landing. It will be understood, of course, that at eachlanding there will be provided a member at with its associated parts, sothat the doors at all the landings of the elevator well will be properlylocked when the elevator is not properly opposite the same, and alsoupon opening the door at any landing the corresponding member l l willbe inserted into the path of the elevator as shown in Fig. 3 so as toprevent the elevator from moving materially away from the landing, Thetop of the elevator is'preferably cut away as at ($4.- to providearecess for accomodat ing the downward movement of the rod 26. It isalso cut away so as to provide a recess tor accommodating the downwardmovement of the member 20 with respect to the at the elevator.

ll hile I have described a preferred-.em-

toward the interior of the Well beyond the wall or framework of the wellasit exists before the apparatus is added thereto, the

swinging arm or member lprojecting intothe path of the elevator onlywhen the ele-' rator is positioned and the well door openedyalso that nopart of the apparatus carried by the elevator need project beyond thesides or extreme limits or" the elevator as it existed before theapparatus was applied thereto.

lVhat is claimed is: I

1. The combination with an elevator well provided with a floor landin alanding door, and an elevator operating in said well, and controllingmechanism for said elevator, of stopping mechanism carried by theelevator and independent of said controlling mechanism, and meansadapted. to be projected into the path of said stopping mechanism by theopening of said door and acting to operate said mechanism to stop theelevator responsive to a movement of the elevator away from the landing2. The combination with an elevator well provided with a floor landingand a land mg door, and an elevator operating in said.

well, of means preventing the opening of said door except when theelevator is 0p"- posite said landin controlling mechanism carried by theelevator, stopping means carried by the elevator and independent of saidcontrolling mechanism, and means adapted to be projected into the pathoi? said stopping mechanism-upon the opening of said door and acting tooperate said.

mechanism to stop the elevator responsive to a movement of the elevatoraway from the landing.

3; The combination with an elevator well provided with a floor landingand a landnig door, and an elevator operating in" said well, ofoperating means for the elevator including an electric controllingcircuit, mechanism carried by the elevator for opening and closing saidcircuit, and means adapted to be projected into the path of saidmechanism, and actuated by the open-x ing of said door and acting tooperate said mechanism to affect said circuit and stop the elevator,responsive to amovement of the elevator away from said floor.

4:; The combination of an elevator 'wellprovided with a floor, landingand a landing door, and an elevator operating insa-id for'opening andclosing said circuit, and.

means adapted to be projected'into the path of said mechanism. by theopening OfSZtlQl door and acting to operate sald'mechanism to affectsaid circuit and stop the elevator,

responsive to movement of the elevator away from said floor in eitherdirection.

combination with an elevator well provided with a floor landing and aland my; door, an" an elevator operating in said well, of a no pl switchcarried by the ele and means adapted to be moved into operative relationto said sw tch by the opening of said ooor, said switch being operatedtto stop the elevator by a movement of the elevator away from the doorwhen said means is in operative relation to said switch.

6. The combination with an elevator well provided with a floor landingand a landing door, and an elevator operating in said well, of means forlocking said door, releasn ns on said locking means, and a membercarried by said el vator and adapted to contact with and operate saidreleasing means when the elevator is opposite said landing and saidreleasing; means are actuated by movement of the door, said firstmentioned means including a member adapted to be projected into the pathof the elevator by the opening oi said door and acting to prevent theelevator from moving materially away from said landing when said door isopen.

7. The combination with an elevator well provided with a floor landingand a landin;; door, and an elevator operating in said welhcf a memberpivoted to the well and adapted to be swungby the openingof said doorinto the path of the elevator to prevent the elevator moving materiallyaway from said landing when said door is open, means carried by saidmember for locking said door, and means carried by the elevator forunlocking said locking means when the elevator is opposite said landing.

S. The combination with an elevator well provided with a floor landingand a landing door. and an elevator operating in said well, ofcontrolling mechanism carried by the elevator, stoppiung mechanismcarried by the elevator and independent of said con trolling mechanism,a member adapted to be projected into the path of said stopping);mechanism without contact therewith by the first part of the openingmovement of the door and to be retracted by the last part of theclosing; movement of the door and operative when projected to preventthe elevator from moving materially away from said landing; by coming incontact with said stopping mechanism, means "for preventing opening ofsaid door, and means carried by the elevator for releasing the door whenthe elevator is opposite said landing.

, 9. The combination with elevator well provided with a floor landingand a landinp; door, and an elevator operating in said well, ofcontrolling mechanism carried by the elevator, a member adapted to beprojected into the path of said controlling mechanism by the first partof the opening movement of the door and to be retracted by the last partof the closing" movement of the door and operative when projected tocooperate with said controlling mechanism to prevent the elevator frommoving mate rially away from said landing, means for holdingsaid memberin its retracted position, said member when held in its retractedposition serving to prevent the opening of said door, and means carriedby the elevator and serving to permit said member to be projected andthe door to be opened when the elevator is opposite said landing.

10. The combination with an elevator well provided with a floor landingand a landing door, and an elevator operating in said well, of a memberadapted to be projected into the path of the elevator by the opening ofsaid door for preventing the elevator from moving; materially away fromsaid landing. said member being adapted to be withdrawn from the path ofthe elevatorby the closing of the door, and means carried by theelevator for completing the withdrawal of said member from the path oithe elevator should the door be not sufficiently closed therefor.

11. The combination of an elevator well provided with a fioor landingand a landing door, and an elevator operating in said. well, of a memberadapted to be projected into the path of the elevator by the open ing ofsaid door for preventing the elevator :rom moving materially away fromsaid landing said member being adapted to be withdrawn from the path ofthe elevator by the closing of the door, and means whereby movement ofthe elevator will complete the withdrawal of said member from the pathoi the elevator and the closing of said door should the door not beotherwise comthe path 01" said stopping member by the.

openingof said door and adapted to move said stopping member uponmovement of the elevator away from the floor landing.

13. The combination of elevator well provided with a floor landing and alanding door, and an elevator operating in said well,

of two horizontal members carried by the elevator. means whereby saidmembers are resiliently held in normal position w1th respect to theelevator, means whereby a movement of either member with respect to theelevator will stop the movement of the elevator, and a member carried bythe well and adapted to be projected into the path of and between saidhorizontal members by the opening of said door.

let. The combination of an elevator well provided with a floor landingand a landing door, and an elevator operating in said well, of a membercarried by the elevator and resiliently held in normal position withrespect to the elevator, means whereby a movement of said member ineither direction with respect to the elevator will stop the movementofthe elevator, and a member carried by the well and adapted to beprojected upon the opening of said door into position to cause movementof the first said member upon movement of the elevator and to bewithdrawn upon the closing of said door.

15. The combination of an elevator well provided with a floor landingand a landing door, and an elevator operating in said well, of a membercarried by the elevator and resiliently held in normal position withrespect to the elevator, means whereby amovement of said member ineither direction with respect to the elevatorwill stop the movement ofthe elevator, and a member carried by the well and adapted to beprojected upon the opening of said door into position to cause movementof the first said member upon movement of the elevator and to bewithdrawn upon the closing of said door, and cams carried by theelevator forcompleting the withdrawal of the second said member and theclosing of the door should the door not be completely closed.

16. The combination of an elevator well provided with a fioor landingand a landing door, and an elevator operating in said well, of a membercarried by the elevator and resiliently held in normal position withrespect to the elevator, an electric control circuit for the elevator, aswitch in said circuit carried by the elevator and adapted to beoperated by movement of said member in either direction to stop themovement of the elevator, and a member carried by the well and adaptedto be projected into the path of the first said member upon the openingor said door and adapted to move the first said member upon movement of.the elevator relation to said circuit breaker operating device, so thatupon moderate movement of the car the circuit breaker 1s operated bycooperation of said member with said operating device.

18. In elevator mechanism, the combination of a well, a door therein,means located on the well for locking the door but permitting slight,movement thereof, releasing means for said locking means, and a membercarried by the car and acting when the car is close to a predeterminedposition in the well to contact with and operate said releasing meanswhen said releasing means are actuated bya movement of the doorapproximately to the point normally permitted by said locking means.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

POWHATAN J. WOOLDRIDGE. Witnesses:

ETHEL Jonnns, A. L. KENT.

